Imprisoned
Katara was thrown unceremoniously onto the hard stone floor of her cell. The walls and air were hot and dry, not a drop of moisture to be found.
Her bruises and scratches pained her to lie down and her ribs felt sickeningly soft in one place. It was excruciating to breathe .
So she just lay there, drifting in and out of consciousness. Vaguely aware of steel boots marching along her corridor.
Hours or days later, she wasn't sure which, a guard brought rice. No water. She dragged herself over to the rice and ate what she could. Her mouth felt dry and her throat pained her.
Guards did eventually bring water, but by then she was too weak with thirst to do anything but gulp it down. It took two of them to support her and get her to drink.
Days later katara found herself being stripped to the waist by a female guard, who methodically felt her ribs. She cried out in pain. The guard proceeded to tightly bind her about her sides.
"Nothing is punctured, you aren't coughing up any blood. Best we can do is bind it up and hope it heals", the guard said monotonously. "The princess wants you fit to travel".
"Travel where?" katara whispered hoarsely. The guard roughly retied her tunic.
"The fire nation".
Katara closed her eyes, in pain and fear. To the fire nation. The heart of the enemy.
The Ship
Zuko stepped onto the steel gangway, he was going home. Three long years. He would finally have a family again, a place, a future. His father would accept him back as his heir, or would he? After all it was Azula who shot the Avatar, not him, and they had not seen the Avatar die. And they didn't need to. It was lightening, there was no chance of surviving a shot like that.
He sighed and followed his sister onto the ship. Mai and Ty Lee flanked her like bodyguards, or rather like her entourage. Mai kept giving him sidelong glances, on meeting his gaze she smiled ever so slightly and turned away.
She is beautiful. Refined and polished. The perfect Fire Nation noble - thought Zuko, remembering the teasing they'd gotten as children.
Zuko found himself remembering his cousin Lu Ten, his childhood idol, and then his uncle Iroh. His uncle who had sheltered him and treated him as a son all those years. His uncle who had judged him for choosing his nation and family over a boy he didn't know.
He brought his imprisonment upon himself. He chose the wrong side, threw away his whole family.
Iroh and the other prisoners were to be transported separately, under a heavier guard, at a later time. To be held in the Fire Nation.
Other prisoners...Katara.
He knew her name only from the brief interactions, mostly fights, they'd had over the past few months.
She really cared, wanted to help me. She was willing to trust and forget all I had done to her. A trust I broke...
Zuko remembered about touch of her soft hand on his face, comforting him, offering him forgiveness and acceptance.
If there's one thing I do regret, its that she did not get away...
He pinched the bridge of his nose, making his excuses to the trio as he walked towards his quarters. He turned a corner down the passage, the archway leading to the stairs going down into the hold was occupied by third guards. They were carrying something blue between them. A slim, tanned arm slipped into his sight.
Zuko gave a start, and then swiftly moved forward.
"Why is this prisoner not with the other fleet as was arranged?" He asked in his best voice of command.
"Your sister the Princess ordered she be brought on the first ship so that she might be submitted for questioning as soon as we reach the Capital, your Highness," said the unburdened guard, giving a slight bow.
Zuko took a good look at the girl. Her hair was unbound, tangling in places as it fell half over her face. She was thinner than when he had last seen her a week past and her lips were dry, cracked and splitting. Her eyes fluttered feverishly and she mumbled incoherently.
"Bring her to my quarters. I wish to question her myself," Zuko ordered.
"But Prince Zuko, your sister..."
"Will have her chance to interrogate the prisoner in the Capital, now stop questioning me and do as you are ordered!" Zuko said, his voice raising ever so slightly.
The guard bowed and directed his subordinated. On arriving to Zuko's room they quickly set Katara into a chair. She paled and slumped into it, looking small and fragile. The guards hurriedly bowed their way out, shutting the door.
As soon as they were gone Zuko drew the latch behind them. He swiftly strode over to Katara and bent down to pick her up, gathering her up into his arms. She whimpered slightly as he held her, he felt the slight bagginess of tight bandages under her thin tunic. He laid her down on his bed and picked up the pitcher of water from his bedside table. Pouring a little into a goblet he lifted her head to meet the goblet, using his forefinger to part her lips slightly and pour a little water into them. She drank slowly at first, but then lifted her hand to the glass and gulped down the rest quickly.
"Easy, easy. You'll make yourself sick", Zuko said to her softly, lowering her pack to the pillow. Her tunic had fallen loose, opening slightly. She was still perfectly modest in her layers of white underwraps, but he still saw the tightly bound ribs. The
bandages did not cover everything, he still saw thick back and blue bruises protruding out from them. Her face too, had a slight shadow of bruising on one side and had scratches still healing. His throat constricted.
Did I do this?
She was still a girl, a master waterbender maybe, but still just a girl caught on the losing side of a war.
A beautiful girl - Zuko thought in spite of himself. He shook his head and sat in his chair, settling in for a long, uncomfortable night.
He woke in the dark with a start at a loud clanging. He heard her soft groans and quickly lit
a candle. Katara had fitfully rolled off the bed and was now curled into a fragile ball on the ground.
Zuko sighed and strode over, lifting her gently back onto he bed. Her eyes opened in awareness for the first time since he'd seen her. "Zuko?" she murmured questioningly.
"Go back to sleep Katara, you're safe." He said softly.
Why did I promise her that? She is not safe anywhere near Azula.
The next morning Zuko left the room to attend breakfast and get some air above decks, putting up appearances for Azula. He rather hoped she wouldn't know of him keeping Katara in his quarters and assume that he was sympathetic to the Avatar.
He returned after to find Katara doubled over, bracing herself against the wall with one arm, grimacing in pain.
"Katara get back into the bed, you're still hurt."
"I just want to get out of here!" She said with force, eyes tearing.
"You are prisoner of the Fire Nation, too valuable to let go." He walked over to her and tried to guide her back to the
bed. She weakly shoved him away, stumbling a little before swaying to an unsteady halt a few steps away.
"This is wrong and you know it!" She said, anger rising behind her eyes.
"Please sit down, you're injured."
"No! I don't want to go anywhere with you or do what you say!" She shouted. The ship rocked ever so slightly as her voice rose and fell.
"Katara I will throw you back into a cell if you don't keep quiet. My sister will not be as patient as I am." Zuko said, raising his hands to show he meant no harm but was serious about what he said.
"Why do you care what happens to me!? You've already taken everything!" The ship swayed a little more now. Zuko stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around the tops of her arms. She pushed weakly against his chest, trying to get him away.
"Let me go!" she protested.
Zuko ignored her, pulling her back towards the bed. He was perhaps a little too rough as she yelped when he half threw her down.
"Don't move", he said shortly, walking out he door and locking it behind him. He returned quickly with a bowl of fresh water.
Katara felt it as soon as he entered the cabin. Her eyes darted from the water to Zuko.
"Don't even think about it," he said. "This is for your injuries, and I'll be right here when you use it so don't try anything. There's a ship-full of guards around you, not to mention my sister."
He handed her the bowl and stood facing her, arms crossed.
She set the bowl down on the bed, looking up at Zuko. "Um..could you maybe turn around?" She asked tentatively, embarrassed even.
"Sorry no, I'm already taking a risk giving you the water," Zuko said emotionlessly, "Don't worry about your modesty, it's not as though I'd be interested."
Katara scowled and stood, her back to the arrogant prince. She untied her blue tunic, shrugging out of it quickly, wincing at the movement. The tunic slid down her shoulders, she bit her lip and extended her arm, trying to get it off without twisting too much. Then she felt a warm hand grasp her shoulder while the other pulled at her sleeve, freeing her from the tunic. As soon as they had come they disappeared.
She continued without comment, more than a little perplexed at this small kindness. Katara picked up the bowl, and sat on the bed, ignoring Zuko's gaze, thankful for her modest underwraps. She began unwinding the bandages.
He hid his horror well. Her otherwise unmarred tanned flesh was mottled with black and blue bruises and half-healed cuts. Her arms too bore evidence of losing the battle.
Katara bent the water into a glove and focussed on the flow of her chi, manipulating it, causing the water to glow blue and hum slightly. Zuko watched dumbstruck as she lifted the water to her side and closed her eyes. Most of it sank in, working to repair the internal damage to her ribs. Her bruises slowly faded. She exhaled in relief, a tear falling from one eye. She wiped it away quickly.
Next she mended her face and arms, healing bruises and torn muscles.
As good as new - she thought drily.
"Why are you helping me? Why do you care if I'm sick or injured?" she asked quietly, standing to put her tunic back on.
Zuko sat in his chair, bending slightly to pull off his steel toed boots. "You tried to help me, more than once, even when we were enemies. This makes us even."
No it doesn't - thought Katara, I may have tried but he didn't let me...
"I'll take you back tonight. If Azula finds you here...well you might not be around for very long anyway. Right now I'll send for some food for us, Azula shouldn't think it odd for me to eat separately from her." Zuko opened the door and yelled at a passing servant to bring lunch.
He sat back in his chair and began reading a scroll taken from his bedside drawer. Katara sat back against the wall, watching him warily as she re-braided her hair.
They ate in silence. Blue eyes occasionally flickering up to Zuko's face. He never looked at her, seem decidedly disinterested in conversation of any sort.
The light slowly faded, Zuko flicked two fingers sharply, lighting a candle. Katara sat on the bed, watching the sun fall over the endless expanse of sea beyond the porthole.
"Come", Zuko ordered. Katara turned and saw him standing in his cloak, holding a candle in one hand. He strode forward and wrapped his fingers around Katara's upper arm none too gently.
"I can walk just fine by myself thanks", she snapped, wrenching back slightly, aggravated at being controlled.
He looked at her hard for a moment, then slowly released her. He stepped behind her, "Move".
They walked down the darkened passage in silence.
Katara felt a wisp of fresh air as they passed an archway and stairs. And that was it. She lost her head completely, breaking away from Zuko and sprinting up the stairs.
She gasped as she stepped out into the quiet night air, breathing in the fresh smell of the ocean. But before she could lift a finger to summon water to herself Zuko was on her, crushing her in his arms as he slammed into her back, knocking her to the ground.
"N-", she started to scream before he clamped a pale hand over her mouth.
"Shut up!" he growled into her ear, hauling her to her feet, twisting her arm tightly behind her back.
He pulled her back and shoved her down the stairs. She struggled as he half carried her to the brig.
Zuko pushed her in easily, slamming the bars shut behind her. "That was foolish, I thought you realised that between me and Azula, I am more tolerant. "
Katara rubbed her arm, saying nothing as the prince turned to leave her alone in the cold dark.
"Would you have done any differently?"
He stopped for a moment, one hand on the door, abruptly slamming it behind him.
The clang reverberated through the empty row of cells, empty save for one lonely Water-Tribe girl.